Final answer:
Chiral centers have sp3 hybridization, not sp2, with four different groups attached, allowing for enantiomers.
Thus the statement is false.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that chiral centers are sp² hybridized with 4 different groups attached is False. A chiral center must have four different groups attached to an sp³-hybridized central atom. This configuration allows for the existence of non-superimposable mirror images of the molecule, known as enantiomers.
In contrast, an sp²-hybridized central atom typically has three regions of electron density, such as in the case of alkenes or molecules with a lone pair, so it cannot be a chiral center.
A classic example of a chiral center can be found in α-amino acids, where the central carbon is sp³ hybridized and bonded to four distinct groups (an amino group, a carboxyl group, a hydrogen atom, and a variable side chain). The spatial arrangement of these groups follows a tetrahedral geometry, with bond angles approximately 109°.
Thus the statement is false.